Road To Darkness
by Nerdbirder
Summary: The gods are indebted to Percy for all of his courageous deeds, but have decided on one thing - he is too powerful and dangerous. What is their solution? Get rid of him. Meanwhile, a sinister enemy plots their downfall. The two demigod camps mourn for the sudden disappearance of their lost hero, unaware that he is still alive. One question: who's side is Percy really on?
1. The Beginning

Percy walked out of his cabin surprisingly early in the morning. People were still cleaning up after the huge party thrown in honor of the defeat of Gaea and the giants.

_What a crazy party,_ he thought to himself. The night had been filled with dancing, pranking, and _very_ intense food fights. He still had pieces of glue stuck in his hair. He glimpsed a flash of blonde before he was squeezed nearly to death.

"Dude!"

He looked up to see Jason grinning at him, with his newly acquired glasses sitting crookedly on his nose.

_What a dork._

"How are you doing?" He asked seriously.

_Oh, i'm okay, just had a few pesky nightmares that kept me up all night and almost drove me to the brink of_ _my sanity_...

Percy decided on saying, "I'm fine." He turned the frown into a carefree grin. "Awesome, in fact! Have you seen Annabeth?"

Jason pointed his thumb to the Athena cabin. "In there, frowning over some piece of work, as usual." He turned away and looked back. "I gotta go. See you later... _water boy_._" _

They exchanged sad looks. After what seemed like an eternity, Jason walked away. Percy stood there.

_That self-sacrificing idiot... I could have saved him,_ he thought. Another death that was his fault. More blood on his hands. Perseus. _The Destroyer. _He remembered how the _stupid_ gods had decided to intervene at the last moment to help defeat the giants. Did they help defeat Gaea? No. They just stood idly by as the demigods from both camps fought for their lives. As Leo sacrificed himself to kill Gaea.

"Percy!"

He blinked out of his daze to see Annabeth waving at him from the doorway of the Athena cabin.

She walked over to him and gave him a tight hug, looking at his tired face sympathetically. "Nightmares?"

"Yeah."

"It's okay. I've been having them too. I guess... just side effects from, _you know._" Her face turned grim. During the quest, they didn't really get nightmares too often, the reason probably being because they were too busy with the whole saving-the-world thing. Now, however, Percy had _loads_ of time to marinade in his dark thoughts.

Annabeth took his hand, squeezing it. "Come on, Chiron needs to see you. It's urgent."

"For what?"

"No idea."

If this had to do with another prophecy, Percy was prepared to run down to the underworld and drown himself in the river Cocytus. Again.


	2. Meeting The Council

Good news: there wasn't another huge prophecy for Percy to deal with. Bad news: the gods had once again summoned him to Olympus. Chiron had told Percy this in a somber tone, and before Percy intended to leave, Chiron grabbed his arm, stopping him, and looked at him sadly with those thousand-year-old eyes.

"Stay strong, Perseus. Good luck."

The last time Percy had seen that look on him was many years ago, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He was staring at a young girl's grave marker, like he had been at her funeral, which he probably had. It gave him chills. That was _not_ a look he wanted to be given. Annabeth stood up and held Percy's hand.

"I'm going with him, Chiron"

They started to walk out, but Chiron moved in front of the door, stopping them, and shook his head sadly.

"No, child. I can sense bad things will unfold if you go. You must remain here."

She backed off and looked desperately at Percy, then Chiron.

"I have to go! It's the safer option, and I _know_ you're hiding something!"

"No," he said more firmly. "This is meant for Percy, and Percy only." He gave Percy a look signalling him to leave.

Percy obliged and exited the Big House reluctantly, the sounds of Annabeth and Chiron's arguing slowly fading as he made his climb up the hill. _What was that all about?, _he wondered. The all-too-familar feeling of dread slowly crept it's way up his throat. What could the gods have wanted from him _this_ time? Percy really hoped big-baby Zeus wasn't having one of his little tantrums again.

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Before he knew it, he was walking out of the elevator up to Olympus. The divine residents of the place looked at him in anxious fear. Minor deities peeked through their doorways and firmly shut them closed. The nine Muses scattered away from their concert as he passed by. He walked up to the throne room. The doors opened on their own, and in front of him sat the twelve Olympians, in all their _heavenly glory. _Zeus looked down at him disdainfully. The other gods' faces were expressionless and cold as stone, except for Poseidon, who had his head down and wouldn't meet Percy's eyes. _Go on, ignore me again, _he thought bitterly. He stood in the middle of the room, staying silent for a moment before smirking and giving a theatrical bow.

"Ah, the _almighty_ Olympians, what a _pleasure _to serve you again." Percy stated edgily. He thought he might have gone a bit _too_ far, but he was angry. Angry at all they had done, and how they used him as a pawn and manipulated him all his life. Not to mention that the people closest and dearest to him were hurt because of their dumb choice to not involve themselves in the most recent war.

"Insolent boy," Zeus huffed. He raised his voice. "I'm sure the council agrees when I say that this _demigod_ has done many great services for Olympus.", They all nodded their heads. "_However, _he is also much too powerful and dangerous of a threat to be left alone_. _Because of this, I offer Perseus godhood, once again."

Percy scowled, his answer clearly already showing on his face. Zeus glared down at him.

"Be careful how you answer, boy. Your life depends on it."

_Dead silence. _There was so much tension in the air it could have been broken with a knife.

Percy looked around, his eyes resting on each and every god and goddess, one by one. Poseidon was almost in tears, silently pleading with his eyes for Percy to accept the offer. Percy's wolf-like gaze shifted back to Zeus. He narrowed his eyes, and with great care, spoke one word:

"_No."_

**_AAGGGGH THAT TOOK WAY LONGER THEN IT SHOULD HAVE! Please give me ideas and constructive criticism! I would really like to improve, and I want you guys to enjoy it as much as you possibly can! DO NOT HESITATE!_**


	3. The Fall

Zeus stood from his throne with a satisfied glint in his eyes, and summoned his lightning bolt. Some of the gods got up and voiced their protest, holding their hands out to stop him. Before the blinding flash came, Percy heard an anguished scream. Someone pushed him back.

"PERCY!"

He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the blast to hit. It didn't. When Percy opened his eyes, he saw the broken form of Annabeth Chase lying in front of him. She turned her head towards Percy and looked at him with those beautiful grey eyes.

"It was all a trap," she croaked out.

"Annabeth!" He tried to rush to her side, but was held back by Celestial Bronze chains clasped firmly to his arms. He struggled against the bonds, tears forming in his eyes. "No...". Most of the gods had looks of surprise and horror. Athena had risen from her throne and was staring at Zeus.

"This was _not_ part of the plan," she stated, before vanishing into thin air.

The light faded from Annabeth's eyes.

"NO!"

The dam broke, and Percy fell to his knees, sobbing like he had never before. Annabeth was dead. Annabeth was _dead. _The gods _murdered_ her. He looked up with wild eyes. A new emotion boiled up inside of him: rage, and all of the anger and bitterness he had kept bottled up through the years finally boiled over. He stood up.

"Is _this _what you wanted!? You wanted me to be your threat? Well, i'll be your threat!," he snarled. A hurricane started to swirl around him, the most destructive he had summoned yet. The wind whipped at the Olympians' hair and clothes. They looked at him uneasily and took hold of their weapons. Percy however, though, was not afraid.

He laughed to himself_. What's the worst they could do, _he thought._ Kill me?_

Percy let Ares force himself through the storm and drag him to a large, gaping hole that had appeared in front of him. It unnaturally radiated darkness and had a strange gravitational pull.

_Tartarus._

He stared brokenly at the throne room around him, at the light he would probably never see ag_a_in. Then, the demigod fell into the pit once more. This time he was alone.

Annabeth Chase was _dead._

**Arrgggh, such a lame chapter...*dodges rocks and assorted objects* Yes, yes, I know! I'm sorry! Don't worry. We will meet Annabeth again. Gods, that was definitely harder than I thought it would be. As always, please review!**


	4. Back In Tartarus

Percy was hoping he would splatter on the ground and die. He _really_ did not want to endure the horrors of Tartarus again. One tour of the despicable place was enough to last for a whole lifetime. The rotten, sulfur-scented air pulled at his hair and buffeted at his face as he fell, and the ground soon appeared below him. He thought of Annabeth's broken body in front of him. He saw Ares' _stupid _face as the god threw him into the chasm. _The gods._

_They killed Annabeth. They MURDERED her._

Surprisingly, Annabeth's death didn't make him cry or grieve. It just filled him with a vast, cold emptiness. The Olympians were corrupt, and Percy wanted more than justice. He wanted revenge. Of course, the poor campers had no idea what the immortals had done. Chiron The Fraud had probably made up some sob story about how Perseus Jackson and Annabeth Chase courageously died from a monster attack.

Percy turned his attention back to the ground, which was coming towards him alarmingly fast. There was more than that. There was a river. A dark, pitch black river, with waters that writhed as though they were in pain. He could hear the wails calling to him from hundreds of feet below. The River Cocytus. Great.

It got closer and closer. High- speed collision in:

_3..._

_2..._

_1..._

_SPLASH!_

Percy sank through the murky darkness, not able to breathe. He then overcame his shock and started swimming towards the surface. That's when the voices came, paralyzing him.

_"Monster," o_ne whispered. "_Not the hero," a_nother mocked.

_You BELONG here..._

He pushed through the voices angrily, no matter how _true_ they were. It was _true. _He never fixed things. He always destroyed them. He broke through the surface and clawed himself to shore.

Percy lay by the side of the river, gasping and freezing cold. The glass shards dug into his hands. Suddenly, something grabbed him by the arms, and he was dragged away from the river. He heard screeches and growls. The monsters had found him. A rough, clawed hand jerked his chin up, and He stared into the face of Kelli, the _empousa_ that had tried to kill him many times in the past. She certainly had the perfect opportunity to do so now, as he half-stood helpless before her.

"_Perseus Jackson," _she said, as if she were savoring every last syllable. The other monsters, mostly _arai _and other _empousai_, jeered and laughed at him.

_"Look at what the great Hero of Olympus has been reduced to,"_ Kelli looked at Percy with mock sympathy. _"Why, I almost feel sorry for him."_.

More laughter.

He sighed in annoyance. "Look, if you're going to kill me, can you just get on with it?"

"Oh, Percy," Kelli smiled at him with a gleam in her eyes, as though she knew a big secret he didn't. She drew a long, evil-looking black sword. It gleamed and looked like it was made of ice. "You have no idea what is in store for you. Tartarus has given you his _special _attention."

Percy really didn't want to know what _special_ meant.

"The first demigod to die in Tartarus... this should be interesting."

He didn't get to say anything else because that was when she raised the sword and stabbed him through the chest.

Searing pain, and then...

_nothing._

When Percy woke up, he was floating. It felt pretty nice until he realized he couldn't breathe.

**Oh gods, i'm horrible, I know. Put on your safety goggles. It's going to get REALLY dark.**


	5. Dangerous Discoveries

**_Somebody told me my chapters weren't long enough... so, here you go! Also, the weird clumped-text thing happened, but I fixed it so it should be good now. Sorry! _**

_Previously:_

_When Percy woke up, he was floating. It felt pretty nice until he realized he couldn't breathe._

Percy flailed around in the strange place until one of his hands hit a smooth membrane of some sort. He gave a test push. Sure, enough, it gave way a little. Then, he punched through it and spilled out, gasping. His lungs filled with air. Putrid, acrid air, but air nonetheless.

_So he was still in Tartarus._

Percy found himself to be in a shallow depression in the ground. He dragged himself out, noticing that his hands were starkly pale. His tan was gone. Gross slime covered his entire body, and he felt a peculiar dead weight on his back. His limbs were weak and almost useless, almost like he had never used them before.

Percy lay sprawled on the ground beside the hole. When he was finally able to stand up, he saw what he had punched his way out of. A monster zit.

_Disgusting._

He also figured out what the dead weight on his back was_. _They were extra arms_.  
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At least, that's what they felt like. He tried moving them, and turned his head to the side, seeing them for what they really were.

_Wings_._ He had wings._

They were huge, pitch black, and leathery. Percy ran his hand along the edge of one. It was smooth and cool to the touch. He gave an experimental flap and his wings caught the thick air, propelling him upwards. He rose a few feet before dropping back down with a thud.

There was a river close by. It's surface was still, resembling ice. Still in a daze, he stumbled towards it. The water was calm enough for him to see his own reflection.

Percy stared down at the water, and a twisted, demonic version of himself stared back. He had deathly pale skin which contrasted sharply with his dark hair, deadly looking silver-tipped wings, and blood red eyes.

He flinched as a voice suddenly spoke behind him.

"Scared of what you see, Perseus? You've become what you really are. A monster."

_Monster._

Percy stood. He was alive. He was going to get out of Tartarus and give the gods the fate they deserved. He would turn the camps, the gods' own children, against them. Percy wanted vengeance, and _NOTHING _was going to get in his way.

He whipped around, red eyes gleaming. He laughed a bitter laugh, and a twisted and sadistic smile appeared on his face.

"I guess I am," he jeered.

The last thing Prometheus saw was a blur of black, and a fist, sending a sharp, jagged rock hurtling towards him.

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Annabeth stared despondently at the delicious food and drink in front of her. Her old friends, Beckendorf and Silena, were trying to get her to eat. She ignored them. Her thoughts kept on going back to one event: how Percy looked standing above her in those chains, in the throne room. She saw the moment his eyes broke, his _spirit_ broke. Then, before she knew it, the world faded away, and she found herself standing before the three judges of the underworld.

"Annabeth!"

She snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to see Silena's worried face. Silena grabbed Annabeth's shoulders.

"You're scaring us. I know this is hard. Gods, it's horrible to be ripped from someone you love. But look, you'll see Percy one day again here. Trust me, everything is going to be okay."

_Everything is going to be okay. _

Percy wasn't in chains, at Zeus' mercy. The gods weren't horrible bastards.

A sneer started to form on Annabeth's face.

"Silena?" she said in a cold voice.

"What?"

"_Leave._"

Silena sighed in defeat and turned away, walking back to her luxurious greek-style house. It was built low, and the architectural part of Annabeth's mind noted that the white arches were done flawlessly.

Beckendorf looked at Annabeth sympathetically before turning to follow her.

She sat there for a while before getting up from her chair and walking across the street. There was a rushing fountain in the middle, and giggling children were running in circles around it. A couple was sitting on one of the benches positioned next to the fountain, holding hands. It was a quiet and peaceful little town.

_Full of dead people._

After much aimless walking across the countryside of Elysium, Annabeth soon found herself in a small apple grove. She reached up and grabbed a bright red, glistening apple from one of the lower branches. The place was eerily quiet. Sitting down and leaning against one of the trees, she took a bite out of the apple, surveying the place around her. It felt fake. Her favorite fruit had no taste as she chewed it. The sunlight was artificial. The _real _world, where Percy was, was _way _above her.

_Percy. _What had happened to him? What had Zeus done to him?

Annabeth's sacrifice felt like it had meant nothing. Percy was still in danger. Annabeth felt foolish. She should have seen the gods' true nature. She had observed all the horrible things they had done in the past. But, alas, she was too _blinded_ by her _dumb pride_; her eager desire to please her mother. All she really wanted at the moment was to fix _everything_.

_And you can,_ a voice whispered.

Annabeth jumped up and reached for her sword, before realizing it wasn't there. She looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.

"Who are you?"

_A friend,_ the voice answered. _So, you want to_ know_ what happened to Percy? Well, I'll show you._

Before Annabeth could say anything, a series of images flashed through her mind.

_Percy stood in the middle of a hurricane._

_Ares yanked him from the chains and threw him into a bottomless pit._

_He fell into an endless darkness._

_Tartarus._

The vision filled Annabeth with rage.

_Yes, _the voice said. _Instead of killing him, t__hey decided to make him suffer eternally. The camps, your friends, didn't even give a care when they realized you two were missing. _It lowered to a hiss. _You can show them. Show them all what Annabeth Chase is made out of. Your vision of recreating a perfect world can be a reality. You can live again, and lead an army to victory, just as a mighty, strong daughter of Athena should. All you have to do is say yes._

Annabeth thought about it for a moment, grasping the idea hungrily. Oh, she could make them suffer. She wished she could throw the gods in Tartarus, and see how _they_ liked it.

It spoke once more. _Show that you are truly wise. Give the gods what they deserve._

That was what did it. She straightened from her previous slump, some of the old fire returning in her eyes. The offer was simply too good to resist, and as a plus, it was her only chance of finding Percy. She had come to a decision.

"I accept."

Annabeth started to feel a painful tugging feeling in her chest, like someone was pulling a string attached to it. There was a strange feeling of weightlessness, and then she blacked out.

**Please tell me what you thought of this chapter! Thank you for reading!**


	6. Shadowed Secrets

In a dark cavern by the Mansion of Night, two voices were busy talking to one another. Their bodies were only visible as shadowed figures.

"Won't the others do?" a gravely voice rumbled.

"No," a much smoother voice said. Lord Aether needs only the best for his army. The earthborn had their chance in the last war, and they _failed."_

"But-"

"This conversation is over."

There was a huff of defeat, and then silence, before the second voice spoke once again.

"Your job is to re-enforce Erebus' restraints, and to open the way back to the mortal world. You will then lead our forces up to the temporary base camp."

The voices conversed some more, unaware that they were being spied on.

A dark figure was lurking close to the mouth of the cavern, barely even breathing.

Percy leaned against the rock wall, eyes closed, as he listened in to the conversation. A small smirk graced his angular face. He wore dark clothing made of reptile skin, including a hooded black cloak, which, when pulled up, covered most of his face. He would prefer if those that resided in Tartarus _didn't_ know his identity. Perseus Jackson had many enemies. As for the former hero's current state, he had managed to survive in Tartarus for five weeks.

_Or was it five months?_

Time flowed weirdly in the place. He wasn't quite sure. Anyhow, for the past few _whatever it was, _he had just barely been scraping by, shredding meat off _drakon_ carcasses to eat, and making a new sword out of some obsidian rock he had found. The sword hung at his side, gleaming. Riptide had never returned back to his pocket. It probably didn't even recognize it's master anymore.

Percy shivered, and pressed his wings close to his body. It was very cold near Nyx's domain. He didn't use the wings as much for flying as he did for fighting, buffeting faces and breaking limbs. They had proven very useful in combat against several _dracenae, _a while after his little _encounter_ with Prometheus.

He heard the rough voice speak once more.

"Lord Kiros, I thought Erebus had faded ages ago..."

"Not quite," Kiros said. "The primordial is in a deep slumber, but he stirs. Soft-hearted _Erebus_ always defended the weak. From what i've heard of him, for the very personification of darkness, he was quite pathetic. However, all primordials pose a danger, and we couldn't risk him escaping. The war should be easily won this time I believe, as I heard the gods threw their little _sea brat_ down into Tartarus. He should be long dead by now. "

Percy sardonically grinned and shifted from his leaning position on the rocks. He had heard all he needed to know. He leaped up, landing on a pillar formation soundlessly, and unfurled his wings.

When the two rushed out, hearing the flapping, Percy was already long gone, faded into the gloom.

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Annabeth groggily rose from a large, soft bed. She rubbed her eyes and studied her surroundings. She was in a lavishly decorated room, done in a Greek style. The walls were a rich cream color, and the furniture was beautiful.

"Getting accustomed to your surroundings?"

The empty chair in the far corner suddenly became occupied with what looked like an angel.

He had windswept golden-colored hair, and large, feathery wings of the same color. His eyes were like the blue sky of a clear, sunny day, and his skin radiated a warm glow. What disturbed Annabeth the most was that he looked just like Percy, and could have well been his brother. He had the same big eyes, high cheekbones, and full lips, which were upturned in a small smile.

"I _did_ say I could help you. Welcome back to the mortal world, Annabeth."

Annabeth slowly turned herself to the side and slid off the bed. She tentatively walked towards him, barefoot.

"So, that voice... It was you? Where am I?"

He stood. "You are in a small house, located in Athens. Now then, you wanted revenge on the gods, didn't you? I can you give that, and much more. They killed my _family_. Believe me, I know how it feels. You can show them the error of their ways. We could put an end to their wrongdoing, once and for all."

The angel's tone was warm and convincing. Of _course _Annabeth would help him. One thing, however, still bothered her.

"What about Percy? Is he alive?"

Something dark flickered beneath the angel's eyes momentarily, before vanishing as quickly as it came. "It can't be told for sure. If he _is _alive, I assure you he will be found. I must leave now. Your steed awaits outside, and it will take you to where you need to go."

He turned towards the door. Before he could exit, Annabeth blurted out, "Wait! Who are you?"

The being turned around and crookedly smiled.

"My name is Aether."

Then he was gone.

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Jason sat dejectedly in one of the amphitheater seats.

_6 months. Percy and Annabeth had been gone for 6 months._

To make things worse, the gods had gone silent. Not a _word_ flew in from Olympus.

Down below, Chiron was addressing the campers on the dilemma. Apparently, the two had gone on a quest and never came back from it. The whole camp had been looking for them ever since. Jason refused to believe that Percy and Annabeth were dead. They were the most seasoned of all veterans. They _couldn't _be dead.

Chiron swished his tail back and forth nervously. The whole crowd was silent, a heavy, imposing atmosphere settling down on the campers. He spoke once more.

"We can thus assume by now that Perseus Jackson and Annabeth Chase are surely dead. We have lost two truly great heroes, and they will live on in our hearts and memories."

Two demigods walked out, carrying two pieces of silk: one gray, and the other sea green.

Piper burst into tears next to Jason, and as for him: he could only watch in silence as the shrouds slowly burned, along with all of their hopes.

**Another cruddy chapter! Yay! For those of you wondering, Aether is the primordial of light. You know, I feel kind of nervous about continuing without some feedback from you guys. Come on, just a sentence or two? Is that too much? Ideas and suggestions are also welcome. Also, thanks for sticking with this!**

**Update: I'm not posting a new chapter until I get 10+ more reviews.**


	7. A Past Life

_A long time ago..._

_Erebus ran, dodging the arrows being fired his way. Nyx followed close behind him, obliterating any monsters that attacked from behind with dark blasts of energy. Her deep midnight-blue eyes were wide in fear. The horrible creatures never seemed to weaken. Soon, the two young primordials would be overwhelmed._

_Just when all hope seemed to be lost, a blinding flash of light appeared from above. Erebus shielded himself with his dark wings as it increased in painful intensity._

_When the light faded, he stood from his protective crouch to find a burnt circle around him and Nyx. What was left of the monsters around them smoldered and smoked. A glowing figure hovered in the sky._

_"Aether?" Erebus yelled. He was grinning. The figure lowered to the ground, spreading his mighty wings. Once the being's face was clear, he saw it was indeed Aether. It was quite a shock, as he had been missing for many long months, having disappeared without a trace in a very violent battle._

_Aether walked over, returning the grin with one of his own. "Brother." He wrapped his arms around Erebus, giving him a tight hug._

_Erebus looked up at his face, his eyebrows coming together. "Aether, where were you? We were searching for so long..."_

_Aether pulled away. He glanced at Nyx, and then returned his gaze to his brother._

_"I found a way to destroy the enemy, and the newer immortals. With the gods and titans gone, there will be no one left to rule over the four corners of the world. The primordials can reclaim them once again."_

_Nyx gasped in protest_

_"Y- you can't do that!" She spluttered. "That's breaking the ancient laws!"_

_Erebus stepped forward. "She's right. You'll disrupt the balance. The titans aren't all bad. I've met a few peaceful ones. As for the gods, they are arrogant, yes, but they seem to be doing a good job of keeping more evil forces in check."_

_Aether laughed. "Are you really that ignorant, brother?"_

_Then, his expression turned dark. "Please know that I am terribly sorry for what is to come, brother, but I can't have anyone getting in the way of my throne."_

_He stepped forward, and Nyx screamed in horror as Aether grabbed a glowing gold sword from his belt and stabbed his own brother in the chest. Erebus stared at him in shock as the sword went through and came out his back. Erebus' broken and (misleadingly) terrifying red eyes filled with what could only be complete betrayal. A tear rolled down his cheek, and he closed them. Erebus' whole form flickered as he dissolved into shadow. The dark wisps scattered in the wind and disappeared._

_Nyx gave another heart-broken scream._

_"NO!"_

_Nyx tried to run away, but a rumble was heard, and a crack in the earth started opening up beneath her. She skittered back and spread her black feathery wings, trying not to fall in. Tears streaked her face as she screamed curses at Aether._

_"You power-hungry jerk! How DARE you? How dare you do this to us, to your very own LITTLE BROTHER?"_

_The ground rumbled again, and she lost her balance. She grasped on to the earth, trying not to fall in. It wasn't enough. She slipped, hanging on to the ledge with only one hand. Below her was complete darkness. She tried to fly up, but it was useless. A strange force coming from the pit pulled at her wings._

_Aether stood there passively, before pacing over to her and looking down. His face betrayed no emotion, but his voice almost sounded a bit sad as he said his final words to her._

_"Do not worry, Nyx," he murmured. "You won't remember a thing."_

_The strain became too much for Nyx, and she finally let go. Aether watched her as she fell. He felt a small twinge of pity as he thought of how utterly insane the place would make her..._

**This was just a little background filler chapter... lame, I know. Please review! More reviews equals more chapters! Also, this chapter's title is a bit of a story hint. ;)**

**Update: I'm really sorry if some of you guys think this isn't accurate to the 'true myths'... they really confuse me, and there are tons of different versions of them.**


	8. A Primordial Fades

After traveling far enough from the two speakers, Percy settled down on a barren cliff. Spread out in front of him, in the distance, was the heart of Tartarus. The booming was faint and far away, but it still rang in his ears. The terrible sound brought back unpleasant memories of his first visit...

..._with Annabeth._

He shook his head, dispelling them. That experience was in the past, and the past couldn't hurt him or weaken him anymore.

Percy grinned wickedly. He did have a plan didn't he? The best he could do was avenge her death, and make the gods pay for manipulating him and his friends.

One thing was troubling him, however: the conversation he had just listened to, back by the Mansion of Night. Another power was threatening to overthrow Olympus once again. Of course, Percy couldn't care less about the gods, but it wouldn't be wise to have _another_ corrupt immortal in control, and this _Aether _would surely eradicate all the demigods with the gods. _Not_ cool. If this was anything like the last two wars, he would have to escape Tartarus and somehow defeat the guy, whoever he was.

Percy settled on a decision. He would help the gods. He would be on their side.

He smirked.

_Well, not really, of course..._

Percy turned around, and was met with a wall of dark haze about a foot away from his face. It was a thick fog that obscured the rest of the cliff. He peered into it, making out a darker shadow. Something was in there.

_Here goes nothing,_ he thought.

Percy took a step forward and disappeared into the mist.

-x-

The first thing that stuck him was the cold and sad presence he felt. It sank into his very bones, and made him involuntarily shiver and pull his wings closer to his body. The whole place radiated misery. Something pulled inside of him, drawing him closer to the silhouette.

As Percy finally stood before it, he saw what it really was. It was an iron cage, and inside of the cage sat a crouched figure. The figure looked up with a face wreathed in shadow, his form flickering and becoming transparent, almost indistinguishable.

A weak voice flitted by Percy's ear.

_I've been waiting to meet you._

"Are you Erebus?"

Erebus held up his faded hands, looking at them.. _Yes, last time I checked. _He gave a small, weak laugh.

Percy knit his brow in confusion. "Then why are you like this? Aren't you supposed to be a primordial?"

_I've been fading for a long time. We kind of get like that when we have nothing else to live for. Besides, most of my essence has left me. It was reborn as a mortal. a half mortal, to be exact._

He stood up, his shadowy form soldifying for a moment.

Percy finally stared into Erebus' face. _His _face.

"M- Me?" He spluttered in shock.

_You._

He fickered again. _Listen closely. I don't have much time left. You can choose to take the rest of my life force. Aether is plotting to take control of the four corners of the world again, and he must be stopped. Do you accept this?_

Percy pondered over this for a minute, before relectantly nodding his head.

Before Erebus could completely fade, he reached through one of the bars and grabbed Percy's hand.

-x-

Pain. Excruciating pain. That's all he felt. Percy stifiled a scream, kneeling down to the ground and clutching his head. Memories flashed into his mind.

_a war..._

_blood..._

_his brother standing over him, a sword in his hands..._

WHO was he?

Suddenly, he saw a clear face in the midst of all the anarchy. It was a blonde girl, no, _Annabeth_ smirking at him.

_You're a Seaweed Brain, that's who you are._

The world fit together again. He was 17 years old. His name was Percy Jackson.

Percy gasped, sitting up. He was still in the same place, except the cage was gone. There was no sign that Erebus had ever been there. He shakily got to his feet. The hazy mist started to move in wisps, closer to him, but he wasn't afraid. They curled around his feet, as if welcoming an old friend. Then, they dissapated, along with the dark fog.

He started to walk away, still in a daze, before a booming, raspy voice almost shattered his eardrums.

_"NOW, WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE?"_

Percy froze, instinctively drawing his sword, before slowly turning around, silently cursing his bad luck. A large, armor-clad, hulking figure lumbered towards him. Behind the figure were a reasonably-sized band of monsters.

He gave a booming laugh. "A LONER?" He snapped his fingers, and a hellhound walked out from the group.

"KILL HIM."

It jumped towards Percy. The hellhound was hardly a challenge. As quick as lightning, he ducked below the claws and stabbed his sword into it's stomach. The hellhound howled in pain and dissolved into dust. He crouched defensively, ready for another attack.

The leader just laughed again. "AN ADMIRABLE FIGHTER. TAKE THIS ONE. HE WILL MAKE A GOOD ADDITION TO THE ARMY."

All Percy could think was, "Gods,_ couldn't this guy talk a bit softer?" _before the whole crowd rushed at him. He resisted at first, cutting down a few monsters, before suddenly giving up. He let them bind his wrists and grab hold of his wings.

The armored guy scanned the cliff. "WHY, I BELIEVE THAT OLD PRIMORDIAL HAS ALREADY FADED. WHAT A SHAME. NOW, LET US MAKE HASTE."

The group advanced forward, his new demon friends tugging him along with them.

_**I am sorry. I am very sorry. I had finals week, and then writer's block. You shouldn't have to wait that long for me to update. No need to fear, though! Nerdbird is back in action! I hope this chapter was okay... PLEASE rate and review! Let me know what you think of the chapter!**_


	9. The Raging Sea

Chiron looked out the window. Everything in camp appeared to be normal. The Hermes cabin was playing a game of basketball with the Apollo cabin. The speed of the former and perfect aim of the latter made for an intense match. Nearby, on a bench, Nico Di Angelo and Will Solace were sharing a lunch. Despite the peaceful day, a feeling of heavy greivance lay in the air. Camp Half Blood had lost it's two greatest leaders. Chiron hated himself for lying to the campers about what had really happened to Percy and Annabeth. The gods had forbidden him from telling the truth, as it would most surely spark outrage and chaos in the camp. He wondered if Percy was still somehow alive. It was a possibility, but Chiron doubted it. Still, Percy was one of the most powerful demigods he had ever met. He knew why the gods were so secretly afraid of him. Every son of Poseidon Chiron had ever known contained a raging, uncontrollable sea within themselves. Once they unleashed this sea; once they fell to the darkness, they never returned. They could be the greatest of heroes- or the most malevolent of villains.

Many years ago, there was a war between the Big Three, known as World War Two. At that time there was no oath binding the three major gods, so of course, they had children. These children were forced to fight in the war, and Chiron had been entrusted with training one of them. The boy's name was Stryker Morin. When Chiron had first met the son of Poseidon, he was a sweet-hearted boy, with chocolate colored hair and soft brown-green eyes. He cared greatly for his sister, and would do anything to protect her. Chiron soon found that the kid had a natural ability with a sword. His little sister, Cara Morin, was excellent in hand-to-hand combat, and trained with someone else to improve her abilities.

Chiron did all he could to prepare Stryker before he was thrust unwillingly into the war.

_Why me?, _the young demigod had asked.

_Yes, _Chiron thought. _Why him?_

Stryker fought bravely in the war, despite being called weak by his comrades, as he could never kill another demigod in battle. He fought mainly for his sister, to keep her safe. One day, something happened that changed everything.

_The wind blew and the rain poured as a massive battle raged between two groups of demigods. Stryker was fighting for dear life on the overwhelmed upper right flank of the army. He knocked a soldier unconscious and thrust out his hand. The water from the river responded, blasting well over two dozen people away from him. Close by, Cara was locked in a battle to the death with the powerful general of the opposing army, a son of Hades. She fought like a whirlwind with her staff, but it wasn't enough. The son of Hades blocked her repeated hits with his shield. He ducked out from the shield and scored a lucky blow, smacking her with the flat of his_ _blade and giving her a slash on the stomach. She dropped her staff._

_"NO!" Stryker screamed._

_He started running, forgetting the whole battle. All that mattered was his sister. Everything appeared to move in slow motion as he ran towards her. The general moved his sword forward, it's Stygian iron blade glinting evilly. Cara stood there dazed, clutching her stomach. Then, it pierced her chest. The son of Hades ripped the sword out, and she fell. Stryker made it as Cara hit the ground. He knelt beside her, tears running down his cheeks. She was dead. Her eyes stared lifelessly into the distance._

_Stryker sat there for a minute. Then, his hands slowly clenched into fists. He turned his head up to look at the general, hazel eyes like hardened steel. He sprang in a blur, and before the son of Hades could even process what was happening, he cut his throat out._

_Stryker calmly walked over the body. A demigod tried to intercept him. His sword flashed, cutting the demigod's throat in the same fashion. He whipped around and stabbed another in the chest. The enemy was starting to get pushed back. Then, a thundering of hooves was heard. The son of Zeus, his general, came out in front on his horse. He summoned lightning to his sword, giving a mighty yell. They retreated._

_"Run, bastards!" Stryker snarled as they dashed off. "Run!"_

From then on, Stryker became known as the most ruthless and fearsome warrior of Zeus and Poseidon's army. He _enjoyed_ killing. He would drown his enemies for fun. Chiron was horrified at how much his young student had changed. He talked about how much he hated the gods. He swore they would suffer for throwing him and his sister into the war. He blamed them for Cara's death. After the war, Stryker rose with an army and threatened to destroy Olympus. He was killed in the end.

When the pact of the Big Three was made, Chiron was relieved at never having to deal with such an uncontrollable and dangerous force ever again.

Years later, he found himself staring at a lanky, black-haired boy with piercing green eyes. His name was Percy Jackson.

-x-

Percy was blinded. Try living in a dark closet for 6 months and then walking out into bright daylight. _It hurts. _After many long hours of walking through a damp, smelly tunnel, the group had made it out into the mortal world. In that time, Percy was able to loosen the bindings enough to be able to slip out of them easily. Monsters were stupid.

Percy's vision slowly started to clear. They had exit out into some kind of forest. It looked like northern New York. It was midday, and birds were singing. He sucked in the fresh air greedily as the armored man turned towards him.

"ENJOYING YOURSELF?" he asked.

"Yes," Percy replied.

"WELL, NOT FOR LONG. JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU GET TO CAMP. THEY CHEW OUT FRESH MEAT LIKE YOU."

Percy calmly flung the two demons off his wings. They screeched.

"Actually, i'm not going with you," he said casually. The bindings holding his wrists fell to the floor.

"Thanks for the free ride, though."

Without another word he sped off into the trees.

_**Hello, my friends. I APOLLOgize about the long update. Thanks for reading. Please PLEASE review. Constructive criticism ALWAYS. I'm thinking about changing the name of this story. Maybe something like 'The Sea's Darkness'? Please give me ideas.**_


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